HOW TO MANAGE STRESS, PART II

You cannot avoid all stress situations because some of them need to be addressed, however you can alter these situations, and this involves changing the way you operate in your everyday life. First, you need to express your feelings; if someone or something is bothering you, reveal your concerns in a respectful and open way because if you do not, stress will build and the situation will remain the same.

Accept compromise; when you want someone to change his or her behavior, you also should be willing to bend a little so that both of you can find a middle ground.

You need to be more assertive; deal with your problems and do not take the backseat in your own life, for example if you have to study for an exam, do not be shy to tell your chatty friend that you only have five minutes to talk.

You need to manage your time well, as bad time management can lead to a lot of stress; plan ahead and do not overextend yourself so that you can alter the stress amount you are under. Sometimes you need to change yourself, if you cannot change the stressor; you can get your sense of control by altering your attitude and expectations.

Try to have a more positive perspective with the stressful situations; instead of fuming about a traffic jam, consider it an opportunity to pause, enjoy some time alone and listen to radio.

Look at the big picture; when you face a stressful situation, ask yourself “will it matter in the long run? Is it worthy of getting upset?” if the answer is no, focus on something else and spare yourself the time and energy. If you are a perfectionist, you need to adjust your standards because perfectionism can cause you a big amount of stress that can be avoided.